Straight bar knitting machines



May 3, 1966 @a s. wooDcocK ETAL. 3,248,901

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 4, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 haaks:

Ffaaaf .0f-fum William (fav lo@ May 3, 1966 s. wooDcocK ETAL 3,248,901

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 4, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IG 5 /Y YI 5u l F l/ 5G 5p |75 I8 me. 1Q

May 3Q E966 G. s. WQfDDcocK ETAL 3,248,901

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING- MACHINES Filed May 4, 1962 g 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 3, 1966 G. s. wooDcocK ETAL 3,248,901

l STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 4, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent O 3 248,901 STRAIGHT EAR KNIITING MACHINES George Sydney Woodcock, Herbert Edward Woodcock,

Francis Simpson, and Wiiliam Clayton, Hawick, Scotland, assignors, by mesne assignments, to William Cotton Limited, Loughborough, England Filed May 4, 1962, Ser. No. 192,600 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 5, 1961, 16,296/61 9 Claims. (Cl. 66-5) This invention is for improvements in or relating to straight bar knitting machines and concerns the production of colour patterned Afab-ric on said machines of the type, primarily Cottons patent type, in which a row of needles is carried by a needle bar for knitting operation by cam operated mechanism from a cam shaft of the machine.

An object of the invention is to enable the production of colour patterned fabrics on straight bar knitting machines of this type in a variety of fancy designs such as is characteristic of Ifancy sweaters, 4using Fair Isle, Nordic, or Jacquard designs which basically are patterns formed by lgroups of loops of different yarns backed by float threads of the yarn.

The invention provides a straight bar knitting machine of the type referred to having the needles adapted both for simultaneous and selectable independent movement, and means for producing colour patterned fabric by the use of a pattern mechanism acting on selected control elements for the needles above the loop knocking-over level to hold the associated selected needles down whereby they are prevented from knitting.

More specifically the pattern mechanism has pattern bits -for operating the control elements, andarranged in complementary sets in successive rows, the number of rows for the full complement of pattern bits being equal to the number of a plurality of differently coloured yarns required in the pattern. Means are provided 1for rendering the different rows of pattern bits effective in successive knitting operations with the different yarns respectively, -such that in the respective knitting operations the different rows of pattern bits cause knitting operations in which different yarns iioat on selected sets of the needles while the remaining sets of needles knit the yarns, respectively, each complete course of knitting being consequently built up over a plurality of the knitting operations. The' control elements are fitted to have a sliding movement along-side sinkers of the machine, with the pattern mechanism'acting on the rear ends of the elements to move the front ends of the elements into and out of the upward path of needles raising with the needle bar for holding selected groups of needles down. K

Conveniently also a stop bar is provided underneath the lowered needles -such that as the needle bar rises, the selected held-down needles remain on the stop bar with the need-le bar rising along them, and as the needle bar next moves down, the selected held-down needles are prevented by the stop bar from moving down further so that the needle bar rides downwardly lalong these needles thus restoring the original relationship between the bar and the needles.

Cam operated means for the Vertical movement of the needle bar and means for the operation of the pattern mechanism are arranged to operate in required timed relationship.

The means for operation of the pattern mechanism conveniently comprises racking means for racking a pattern drum on at required intervals and cam means for moving the pattern drum from an inoperative position to an operative position acting on the control elements.

The front ends of the control elements are conveniently thickened to act satisfactorily on the (tops of the) needles to hold the needles down and also to act as needle beard pressers.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described, as a specific embodiment with reference to the drawings accompanying the specification in which:

FIGURE 1 is a general cross sectional view of a straight bar knitting machine of the Cottons patent type according to the invention.

FIGURE 1a is .a cross sectional view illustrating a detail of FIGURE 1 on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of FIGURE 1 with parts in different positions.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail perspective View of needles, control elements and fabric illustrating a two colour pattern being formed.

Referring `to FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 1a, the machine which is generally of the Cottons patent type except that the bearded vertical or frame needles 1 are mounted frictionally in tricks in a needle bar 2, is represented by usual sinkers 3 in a sinker `bar 3a .and operable as usual, through jacks 3b, slurcock 3e on slurbar 3d and catch bar 3e, knocking-over bits 4 on usual operating bar 4a, thread carriers 5, 5a, and aback rail 6.

The needle bar 2 is mounted on a cam folio-wer lever 7 with cam follower 8 riding on a cam 9 on the machines main -cam shaft 10, and it is further mounted on a connection 11 to a cam follower lever 12 with cam follower 13 riding on a cam 14 (FIGURE 2) on the main cam shaft 10, these two mechanisms combining to impart required raising and lowering movements jointly with slight horizontal movements to the needle bar 2 and needles 1 in the knitting cycle.

At the lowest position of the needles 1 they have immediately underneath them a stop bar 15 carried by a rod 16 (suitable cam operated means may he provided for slight movements of this stop bar 15 if required).

Disposed alongside the sinkers, one in each sinker trick (so as to be one substantially in registry with each needle 1) there are controlling blade elements 17 which have thickened depending front ends 17a with underside grooves 17C (FIGURE 3) and butts 17b on their rear ends operable in retracting direction by a cam 3f on the slurcock 3c.

Behind the control elements 17 there is la pattern drum 18 with pattern bits 18a separated by recesses 18h. The pattern drum extends the length of the needle or sinker row and is mounted on a cam follower lever 19 with cam follower 20 riding on a cam 21 on the cam shaft 10. Rotation of the drum 18 is effected by suitable racking means, not shown, at the required intervals.

Behind the pattern drum 18 there may be a drum-actuating cam 22 on a lever 23 which has a cutout 23a to clear a rod 24 and which is mounted on a shaft 25 and is connected by a link 26 to a cam follower lever 27 with a cam follower 2S riding on a cam 29 on the cam shaft 10.

The cam follower levers 7, 12, 19, and 27 if provided have return springs 3) to 33 respectively.

The m-achine is operative for making colour patterned fabric in fancy patterns particularly suited for sweaters.

For this purpose in a two colour design, which is particularly chosen by way of example for the sake of convenience in description, the pattern drum 18 is set out with pattern bits 18a separated `by recesses 18h in a manner to suit any two colour pattern required, with only one condition, that, as shown in FIG. 3, a row 18 of selected pattern bits 18a for one needle selection or set of selected needles, must be followed by a complementary row 18 of the remaining pattern bits of the full 3 complement for any one row, corresponding to a complementary set of selected needles for the purpose to be hereinafter explained.

Assuming the machine to have already made some fabric F as shown in FIGURE 1 and FIGURE la and after laying yarn Y by one thread carrier (traversing by usual means along the row of sinkers 3) the slurcock 3c is traversed Aas usual by Coulier mechanism causing jacks 3b to advance sinkers 3 to sink the yarn about the needles 1. At this stage of FIGURE l cam 3f has retracted the elements 17 to a position where their depending front ends 17a bear against the sinker bar 3a.

The reciprocable needle bar 2 lis then caused to move down the rotation of cam 9, during which action rotation ot' cam 14 causes the needle beards 1a to be pressed against the front ends 17a of the elements 17, and as the needles 1 are lowered by cam 9 to knock-over position, loops of the yarn Y are drawn thereby through loops of the fabric F as in normal knitting and as assisted by knocking-over bits 4 operated by the means 4a in the usual manner. While the needles 1 are in the knock-over .position shown in FIGURE 2, the rotation of cam 21 (and of cam 29 if provided) causes advance of the pattern drum 18 (and rotation of cam 22 if provided) so that a selection of the control elements 17 `are advanced by pattern bits 18a of a row 18 of pattern bits to the blocking positions shown in which their front ends 17a overlie the associated needles 1.

Consequently when next cams 9., 14 cause raising of the needle -bar 2, said selected needles are held down at knockover level in an inoperative position relative to the needle bar, the needle bar 2 riding upwardly along these selected needles `and carrying only the remaining needles in the normal operative position to the yarn feeding height.

It will be understood that, as a result, only the raised needles receive the next yarn Y1 fed by carrier Sa (catch bar 3e having withdrawn the sinkers in usual manner), and when the needle bar 2 next lowers, only these operative needles draw loops of the yarn Y1 through old fabric loops, the yarn floating across said held down selected needles in the lower inoperative position. During the down stroke of the needle bar, the needles in the inoperative position are blocked from further lowering by -st-op bar 15, and the needle bar 2 riding down these needles While -carrying the other needles with it finally assumes a lower position in which all needles are in the normal operative position.

During this time rotation of cam 21 (and cam 29 if provided) allow cam 3f to withdraw the advanced elements 17 and the pattern drum 18 is racked on for a new selection so that the complementary selection of pattern bits 18a forming the following row 18" is positioned to cooperate with control elements 17.

When the knock-over stage is reached, cam 21 (and cam 29 if provided) again cause advance of the pattern drum 18, and the arrangement of pattern bits 18a in a row 18 is such that this time all those remaining complementary control elernents which were not previously advanced are now advanced to hold down their associated needles such that, during the next knitting operation with yarn Y from carrier 5, only those needles which were previously selected to be held down now .rise and take the yarn Y and lower to draw loops of it through old fabric loops, the yarn floating across the other needles which previously formed loops and which are held down 'by control elements abutting on the stop bar 15, as before for the other set of held-down needles.

Thus in the exemplified two colour design, it takes two knitting operations to produce a complete course of loops each of which, as seen in FIGURE 3, is made up of spaced loops of one yarn intervening with spaced loops of the other yarn, with float threads extending between the respective spaced loops. In Cotton type straight bar knitting machines successive knitting cycles are caused by the cam shaft, and each cycle is followed by a draw of the Coulier mec-hanism and the traverse of a thread carrier. Yarn changes, particularly between yarns of different colour are also automatically made at the end of each draw so that different yarn carriers are actuated to traverse the machine to feed different yarns to the needles. This standard operation is carried out in the machine of the invention, but only selected sets of needles are operative to receive yarn.

The cycle is repeated at will with the selection of elements being varied as required to produce the desired patterns of which a simple diamond design is shown by way of example in FIGURE 3. This FIGURE 3 illustrates the completion stage of a course at the end of a diamond pattern. For this last course, rst a loop LY1 was formed on the centre needle, wit-h floats FL across the remaining needles, and next, loops LY were made on the latter needles with a float FL across the centre needles; this completes the course, and a new selection has been made in this instance wherein three middle needles SN are held down by three advanced elements 17s` so that only the remaining needles RN are raised to take the next yarn, the linal result being that the latter needles form loops LY1 followed by the middle needles SN forming 'loops LY of the yarn Y.

It is to be understood that there may be more than two differently coloured yarns, in which event the pattern bits 18a are further divided into selections, one yselection for each yarn, so that for the completion of each knitted course, as many knitting operations are required as there are pattern bit selections and yarns.

It is also to be understood that the pattern drumV control of the sliders may be employed for other purposes; for example the sliders may be adapted for deflection of the needles selectively in producing tuck stitch patterns. In this instance either the cam 22 and associated operable parts are employed to take back pressure on the sliders, or equivalent means for taking this back pressure must be provided.

In a modified form of patterning, more than one partial course of loops may be made on the same selected raised needles while the other needles remain depressed for more than one course, followed by knitting a complete course of loops on all the needles, the result being that the loops of the latter course will be knitted onto loops which were held on the depressed needles for more than one course so that the partial courses of loops on said selected needles will become -bunched to provide a raised pattern.

The depressed needles can be held down for the required number of courses by pattern bits on the pattern drum being duplicated for one or more motions of the drum.

In the tucking arrangement, the needles motion is such that the needle bea-rds are not pressed by the usual presser edge; instead the sliders, when selected to advance and deect needles, act on the needle beards to close them so that these needles knit normal loops, whereas when needles do not have their associated sliders advanced, these needles do not have their beards closed so that they tuck. f'

What we claim is:

1. In a straight bar knitting machine, in combination, a reciprocable needle bar; a row of needles mounted in said needle bar individually shiftable relative to said needle bar between a normal'operative position and an inoperative position; a plurality of control elements respectively registering with said needles and being individually operable between a retracted position, and a blocking position for blocking movement of the respective needle with said needle bar so that the respective blocked needle is shifted relative to said needle bar to said shifted inoperative position when said needle bar performs a reciprocating stroke in one direction; stop means for engaging needles in said inoperative shifted position during the return stroke of said needle bar in the opposite direction for shifting the respective engaged needles to said normal operative position; and a pattern device having a plurality of pattern bits disposed in accordance with a selected pattern to cooperate, respectively, with said control elements for moving selected groups of said control elements from said retracted position to said blocking position whereby only needles whose associated control elements are in said retracted position move in said normal operative position with said needle bar to to participate in knitting operations.

2. In a straight -bar knitting machine, in combination, a reciprocable needle bar; a row of needles mounted in said needle bar frictionally engaging the sa-me and individually slidable relative to said needle bar between a normal operative position and an inoperative position; a plurality of control elements respectively registering with said needles and being individually operable between a retracted position, and a blocking position for blocking movement of the respective needle with said needle bar so that the respective .blocked needle slides relative to said needle bar to said shifted inoperative position when said needle bar performs a reciprocating stroke in one direction; stop means for engaging needles in said inoperative position during the return stroke of said needle bar in the opposite direction for sliding the respective engaged needles to said normal operative position; and a pattern device having a plurality of pattern bits disposed in accordance with a selected pattern to cooperate, respectively, with said control elements for moving selected groups of said control elements from said retracted position to said blocking position whereby only needles whose associated control elements are in said retracted position reciprocate in said normal operative yposition with said needle bar to participate in knitting operations.

3. In a straight bar knitting machine, in combination, a reciprocable needle bar; a row of needles mounted in said needle bar individually shiftable relative to aid needle bar between a normal operative position and an inoperative position; a plurality of control elements respectively registering with said needles and being individually operable between a retracted position, and a blocking position for blocking movement of the respective needle with said needle bar so that the respective blocked needle is shifted relative to said needle bar to said shifted inoperative position when said needle bar performs a reciprocating stroke in one direction; stop means for engaging needles in said inoperative shifted position during the return stroke of said needle bar in the opposite direction for shifting the respective engaged needles to said normal operative position; a pattern device having two complementary sets of pattern bits disposed in accordance with a selected pattern to cooperate with two corresponding complementary sets of said control elements for moving during successive knitting cycles of the machine said sets of control elements alternately from said retracted position to said blocking position whereby only needles whose associated cont-rol elements are in said retracted position move in said normal operative position with said needle bar to participate in knitting operations; and two thread carriers alternately operable during successive knitting cycles for feeding dilerent yarns to the respective set of needles which moves with said needle bar during the respective knitting operation.

4. In a straight bar knitting machine, in combination, a horizontal needle bar reciprocable in vert-ical direction; a row of vertical needles mounted in said needle bar frictionally engaging the same and individually slidable relative to said needle bar between a normal operative position Vand an inoperative position; a plurality of control elements respectively registering with said needles in vertical planes and being individually operable between -a retracted position, and a blocking position located above the respective associated needle for blocking movement of the respective needle with said needle bar so that the respective blocked needle slides relative to said needle ba-r to said shifted inoperative position when said needle bar performs a reciprocating stroke in upward direction; stop means located below said needles and said needle bar for engaging needles in said inoperative shifted position during the return stroke of said needle bar in the opposite d-irection for shifting the respective engaged needles to said normal operative position; a rotary pattern device having two complementary sets of pattern bits disposed in accordance with a selected pattern to cooper- -ate during successive stepwise turning movements of said pattern device with two corresponding complementary sets of said control elements for moving during successive knitting cycles of the machine, said sets of control elements alternately from said retracted position to said blocking position whereby only needles whose associated control elements are -in said retracted position move in said normal operative position with said needle bar to participate in knitting operations; and two thread carriers atlernately operable during successive knitting cycles for feeding different yarns to the respective set of needles which moves with said needle bar during the respective knitting operation.

5. A straight bar knitting machine comprising in combination a row of vertical bearded needles, a sinker bar, a row of horizontal sinkers slidable in the sinker bar to cooperate with the needles, and patterning mechanism comprising independently operable control elements, portions of said element-s being slidably mounted between successive sinkers, and edges of said elements being disposed for engagement with and disengagement from the needles, and a pattern device disposed for cooperation with said elements and having a predetermined arrangement of pattern bits for control of said elements to cause the engagement with and disengagement from the needles of said edges according .to predetermined pattern requirements.

6. A stra-ight bar knitting machine comprising in combination a row of vertical bearded needles which are frictionally mounted to enable different selected sets of them to Ibe held inoperative while the remainder are operative, a sinker bar, a row of horizontal sinkers slidable in the sinker bar to cooperate with the needles, and patterning mechanism comprising independently operable control elements, portions of said control elements being slidably mounted between successive sinkers, and edges of said control elements being disposed for engagement with the tops of said different selections of the needles to hold them in lower inoperative position while the remaining control elements are disengaged from the tops of the remaining elements allowing them to be operative, a pattern device disposed for cooperation with the control elements yand having a predetermined arrangement of pattern bits for control of said control elements to cause the engagement with and disengagement from the tops of the needles of said edges according to predetermined pattern requirements and means for re-aligning the needles between the different selections.

7. A straight bar knitting machine comprising in combination a row of vertical bearded needles, a sinker bar, a row of horizontal sinkers slidable in the sinker bar to cooperate with the needles, and patterning mechanism comprising independently operable elements, portions of said elements being slidably mounted between successive :sinkers, and edges of said elements being disposed for engagement with and disengagement from the needles, a pattern drum mounted behind the elements and having a predetermined arrangement of pattern bits, and operating means for successively advancing and retracting the pattern drum for control of said elements by the pattern bits to cause the eng-agement with and disengagement from the needles of said edges according to predetermined pattern requirements.

8. A straight bar knitting machine comprising in combination a row of vertical bearer needles, a needle bar, means mounting the needles frictionally in the needle bar to enable different selected sets of the needles to be held in a low inoperative position while the remainder are operative, a sinker bar, a row of horizontal sinkers slidable in the sinker bar to cooperate with the needles, and patterning mechanism comprising independently operable control elements, portions of said control elements being slidably mounted between successive sinkers, and edges of said control elements being disposed for engagement with the tops of said different selected sets of needles to hold them in low inoperative position while the remaining control elements are disengaged from the tops of the remaining elements allowing them to be operative, and a pattern drum mounted behind the control elements and having a predetermined Iarrangement of pattern bits, cam operated means for successively advancingand retracting the pattern drum for control of the control elements by the pattern bits to cause the disengagement with and disengagement from the needles of said edges according to predetermined pattern requirements, and a stop under the needles for re-alignment of the same between dierent selections.

9. A straight bar knitting machine comprising in combination a needle bar, a row of vertical needles frictionally mounted in the needle bar, a row of horizontal sinkers slidably cooperating with the needles, 4at least two thread carriers for feeding yarns successively one for each knitting cycle of the machine, individually operable control elements having operating ends movable with said elements in selected manner between an inoperative position and an operative position overlying the needles when lowered to hold them in non-knitting position during a knitting cycle of the machine, stop means under the needles for re-aligning the needles following knitting after each selection, and a patterning device having for selectively operating the control elements pattern bits prearranged in complementary manner in successive rows.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 564,886 7/1896 Johnson 66-5 658,415 9/1900 Wright 66-5 824,043 6/1906 Sheppard et al. 66-5 853,325 5/ 1907 kSheppard 66-5 2,823,528 2/1958 Weisbecker 66-5 DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

25 I. H. LACHEEN, P. C. FAW, Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE, IN COMBINATION , A RECIPROCABLE NEEDLE BAR; A ROW OF NEEDLES MOUNTED IN SAID NEEDLE BAR INDIVIDUALLY SHIFTABLE RELATIVE TO SAID NEEDLE BAR BETWEEN A NORMAL OPERATIVE POSITION AND AN INOPERATIVE POSITION; A PLURALITY OF CONTROL ELEMENTS RESPECITIVELY REGISTERING WITH SAID NEEDLES AND BEING INDIVIDUALLY OPERABE BETWEEN A RETRACTED POSITION, AND A BLOCKING POSITION FOR BLOCKING MOVEMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE NEEDLE WITH SAID NEEDLE BAR SO THAT THE RESPECTIVE BLOCKED NEEDLE IS SHIFTED RELATIVE TO SAID NEEDLE BAR TO SAID SHIFTED INOPERATIVE POSITION WHEN SAID NEEDLE BAR PERFORMS A RECIPROCATING STROKE IN ONE DIRECTION; STOP MEANS FOR ENGAGING NEEDLES IN SAID INOPERATIVE SHIFTED POSITION DURING THE RETURN STROKE OF SAID NEEDLE BAR IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FOR SHIFTING THE RESPECTIVE ENGAGED NEEDLES TO SAID NORMAL OPERATIVE POSITION; AND A PATTERN DEVICE HAVING 